Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday termed triple talaq a “burning” issue and said in a developing country like India, women cannot be treated as “secondary” citizens. He also favoured wide discussions on the contentious issue of ‘Uniform Civil Code’ and said in case a consensus emerges, nobody should have any problem with it as even the framers of the Constitution wanted that the state shall “endeavor” to implement it to empower every citizen.

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“Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had assured everyone’s empowerment in the Constitution, be it women or anyone else… You must be agreeing with the fact that in a developing nation, we cannot leave women behind. We can not treat women as secondary citizens. This is not possible in any progressive society,” Singh said.

“Triple talaq is a burning issue of this time…. Is it in accordance of Article 44 of the Constitution? Only court will decide this,” he said at the Constitution Day celebration held at Patiala House Courts complex here.

“At times when there is a debate about triple talaq, some people say that there is an effort to impose Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on them. But as far as UCC is concerned, it is discussed in the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) of the Constitution,” Singh said.

Referring to the DPSP, he said, “the state shall endeavour to implement Uniform Civil Code for its citizens.” “I believe that there should be a discussion at national level… There should be a series of discussions on the issue and if there is any consensus, then, I think no one should have any problem,” he said.

The Union minister also said the government is mulling over the proposal of a National Litigation Policy which would help in reducing pendency of cases. Referring to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) he said it will bring a regime of ‘one nation, one tax’. He also took a dig at the imposition of Emergency, when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, and said the period showed as what happens when fundamental rights are curbed and crushed.